Smarter Maintenance Strategies for Offshore Wind with Embedded Thermal Cameras

Maintaining offshore wind platforms is notoriously challenging. Remote locations, harsh weather and complex logistics pose continuous safety and operational risks for personnel. When a fire/arc event occurs inside a nacelle, critical diagnostic information is often lost, and crews are left uncertain about the failure's cause or required parts until after inspection.

Machine-learning-enabled thermal imaging solutions are addressing these issues. Bi-spectral cameras, like SYTIS’ TC-90™, provide clear images and remote, real-time visibility into electrical enclosures. These miniaturized cameras fit inside nacelles and, powered by POE, offer a holistic view of components, connections and wiring. They detect micro-failures—like pinhole leaks in hydraulic lines—before they escalate.

Shifting from time-based to condition-based maintenance enables earlier interventions, historical trend analysis and more resilient and efficient operations while reducing the need for high-risk manual inspections.

For more information – read the case study by Ryan Severe, Senior Engineer for Wind Assets at Puget Sound Energy.